Lucca Sports & Outdoors

The historic part of Lucca is so small, there's really no need to have a car to see it all. One option is of course to walk all over the old city, another option is to rent a bicycle and go for a fun ride around the city! There are several little shops from which you can rent bikes in Lucca. We got ours from a place called Cicli Rai, where the price was right and the bikes were in good shape. For the same price (6 Euros per hour if I remember correctly) we could choose between renting two regular bicyles or renting a tandem, something we'd never tried before - so of course we picked the second option! We had so much fun riding in and around Lucca, especially on the nice path that goes all around the old fortifications. I would even put this activity at the very top of my Lucca must-do list!

Equipment: Had I known we were going to rent a bike, I would NOT have been wearing a long skirt on that day! I still found a way to make it work, but I'd recommend wearing something more bicycle-friendly.

In the part of banks of the Serchio river between Monte San Quirico Bridge (at the begining of Borgo Giannotti) and San Pietro Bridge a park has been estabilished. This park, called Parco Fluviale, is a circuit 11 Km long skirting the two opposite banks of the river.
This track is often haunted by runners or bikers because is much more training and county-tasting than the City Walls. It is also possible to rent a horse and have a ride along the river.
In this area there are also a lot of benches and tables simply to have a rest and breathe some riverside air.

During your visit to the City Walls you couldn't avoid to note a lot of people doing many kind of sports in every corner of the Walls itself. Ramparts, bulwarks, paths... everywhere is a good place to have some activity.

Running and cycling are the most popular sports done on the Walls, but it could happens to see people skating or having gym. Even golf is played once a year on the green ring outside the Walls.

Having a run could be a way for you to have a really "breathtaking" sight of the city :))

At about 60 Km far from the city centre in North direction there are the Apuane Alps (Alpi Apuane). This is a great place for many kind of sports in every moment of the year.
In winter it's possible to climb ice falls or to have great hike on snow/ice, obviously only if you are an expert, you have a proper training and tools ...ice in those mountains could be extremely unfaithful.
During Spring and Summer you can go hiking through woods or cliffs or even climb one of the many fitted peaks. A lot of mountain shelters (litteraly translation for "rifugio", a lonely house where you can have a rest and eat something in mountain) can be reached in half a day for a daily trip different from usual Tuscany tourists. A little training in hiking is recomended.

The nice green area surrounding the city walls are suitable for many activities - after having enjoyed our lovely walk on the walls, we came over these martial arts performers exercising on the grass. It must be a perfect place for an outdoor training day.